I Don’t Have Bad Days Anymore — Here’s How

Why structure is all you need, plus ideas to incorporate into your routine.

Yes, it’s true: I no longer have bad days. I like to call them structured days.

Why the structure?

If you’re feeling unmotivated, having a system is what you need to keep yourself in check. Research has shown that routines can play an essential role in mental health. One study, for example, found that having a plan can help people better manage stress and anxiety.

When people don’t have a routine or structure to their day, it can cause increased stress and anxiety, feelings of overwhelm, and a lack of concentration and focus.

— Rachel Goldman, PhD, a psychologist and clinical assistant professor at the NYU School of Medicine

Benefits of keeping a routine:

• Lowers stress levels
• Helps to establish new habits
• Promotes self-care
• Increases your productivity and motivation
• Enhances focus

Are you familiar with a mental diet?

It’s a process of monitoring your thoughts so that you get to know what limiting beliefs rule your life; whenever negative thoughts creep in, you get to transform those processes into more constructive ones.

The same applies to your structure during the day.

If you stick to your list and make yourself a cup of coffee and sit down to work (or to do anything creative), you are in the zone. Your thoughts are flowing. Your motivation increases. Your energy is going viral through your body.

However, if, after a meal, you mindlessly sit in front of the TV flipping through channels even if there is nothing of interest or quality to you, you lose your grip. You lose your motivation, and it takes a lot of discipline to get your productivity back on track.

Note: Productivity will mean something different for everyone, and that’s the point. You don’t have to fit into societal frames of hustle culture.

If I feel like spending all day in bed, I make sure I have the list of TV shows I want to binge on and a list of snacks and meals I want to indulge in.

Also, having a list of people I want to talk to that day is a good idea. I allow myself no more than half a day or a day. If I want to wallow, I give myself time to do that and remind myself to get back to my awesome life full of physical ability, opportunities, love, and friendship.

I rarely follow any routine, but on challenging days, I find the structure is what makes me thrive and persist despite moodiness.

Here is a list inspired by my daily routine, which I make a commitment to sticking to when I feel off. I don’t usually follow a structured system. Instead, I follow impulses and spontaneity. Yet, sometimes bad days do happen, and I am okay with it:

You should manipulate the list in such a way as to match it to your job, commute, and responsibilities. The list I’ve created should be a source of inspiration, not an exact follow-through.

Upon waking up:

1. I wholeheartedly encourage you to try oil pulling.
2. Drink water.
3. Listen to a motivational video, podcast (the topic you are interested in, it can be sports, psychology, the law of attraction, cooking, etc.)
4. Make notes. Journal down your stream of thoughts. Don’t over-analyze the content you are writing. In other words: go with the flow.
5. Meditate in silence or to nature sounds. Birds singing in the morning is an uplifting and refreshing way to start your day.
6. Hydrate. Exercise. Get the sun if you can. Move your body how you like it. It can be dancing, yoga, pilates. You don’t have to force yourself into extreme cardio if that isn’t your thing. With time, you will grow fond of other forms of physical movement. Start small and build your way up to greatness. If you jump straight to exercises you don’t enjoy, the leap will only discourage you from consistency. Self-care should be enjoyable, not forced.
7. Try breathwork.
8. Take a cold shower with energizing music blasting.
9. Make sure you are wearing clean clothes, something you feel comfortable in. Put on your favorite underwear.
10. Have breakfast. Whatever makes you feel energized, nourished, and light. Eating too much makes you sluggish, thus unproductive. Everyone knows their limits. I like to start the day with freshly made juice out of celery stalks, lemon, apple, and ginger.
11. Get down to your creative process. Is it writing, painting, crafting, photography, woodwork? Engage in whatever gives you that spark of inspiration, whatever keeps you going. This is a vital point on the list: get your hands in the clay and create. Creativity carries fresh energy. New thoughts start springing out of you. It will definitely lead you somewhere great.
12. Organize your wardrobe: wash dirty clothes, throw away what no longer serves you, declutter messy drawers, and make space.
13. During the above activities, pay attention to your thoughts. Don’t engage in any worst-case scenarios or what-ifs. Persist with your vision. Don’t let your mind or anybody else discourage you from doing what you love. Through this process, you are also getting to know yourself more.
14. Take a break and do some stretches, have a cup of coffee, or have a meal. Have your lunch idea already prepared. During not-so-good days, it’s vital to nourish your body mindfully. Any guilt about eating something instant, any fast food, will throw you into a spiral of negative thoughts, and we want to avoid that. Mindfully arrange your food on the plate. Make some homemade meals out of self-love and care. Who knows, perhaps you will come up with a new recipe or discover your niche for culinary art? It’s important to find time for yourself.
15. Take a walk. Don’t mind the weather. There is no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable apparel. Revel in the sunshine, skip in the rain. Marvel at autumn leaves when they change color. Play in the snow.
16. Find time to wind down. Make yourself a hot cup of tea. Light a candle. Cuddle in a blanket with a book. Mindfully engage in the reading, but pay attention the minute your thoughts start wandering. Bring them back and continue with the book.
17. Have a snack. Share a meal with friends or family while listening to soft music.
18. Come up with a skincare ritual. When having a shower, slowly wash your body, take care of your hair, put a mask on, soak in the nourishment. Don’t rush.
19. Change your sheets.
20. Meditate in silence or to some rain or crackling fire sound. Put your mind and body at ease.
21. When winding down, give thanks for your day and conjure the feeling as if whatever you would like to accomplish has already been done. Is it the feeling of relief, peace, satisfaction? Relish and stay in those emotions. Your state of being before going to sleep sets the tone for the next day.

Extra ideas:

• Write a to-do list. You can practice this every day. List your chores or any leisure activities like reading a book, watching a movie. Treat it like a chore you need to follow through with. Sometimes we fall down a lazy spiral and it becomes difficult to sit down and read that book. But if you assume and make a commitment to read those twenty pages, it’s more probable you’ll accomplish that written task.
• Challenge yourself to do things you are afraid to try: have lunch on your own, post that picture, smile at a total stranger, take up learning a new language. Take small steps, but make a task out of them. You don’t have to enroll in a course straight away, but download an app and dedicate a notebook to learning a new language.
• Set a limit to how many YouTube videos you can watch daily. It’s so easy and treacherous to get lost in virtual reality.
• Make a plan for five days of your meals. When your mood is low, having a structure keeps you in check from wandering into the pessimistic land of self-sabotaging thoughts.

When you set your day from the start on a positive note, you’re full of energy, you know what you want and you go after it. Spontaneity serves you.

However, we experience not-so-good days as well. When we feel lazy, demotivated and the future seems grey and blurry, that’s also okay. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing is wrong with you.

During such days, we simply need a slower, more mindful pace.

Apply mindfulness.

With time, following a routine gets easier and becomes a particle of your blood. Start with small steps. In a month's time, rolling out your mat to exercise will become second nature.

Mindfulness during each task is crucial. The human mind craves routine because it brings comfort and repetition. However, mindlessly following old habits will not guarantee you success or the changes you seek.

Approach designing your routine very personally. Some people thrive on very meticulous plans, while others prefer more flexibility. For example, when you feel like having a nap instead of going through thirty pages of a book, postpone reading and get back to it later on.

Only you know the ebbs and flows of your energy cycle, so plan accordingly. Do you prefer to do creative tasks in the morning or in the afternoon? Tune in to your emotions and preferences. Don’t be harsh with yourself, but be strict about taking care of yourself. Think of yourself as your highest priority.

Have fun with your structure. After all, isn’t self-care all about fun and respect towards your body and mind?

Thank you for reading!

I write to empower and inspire with self-love. Your biggest strength lies in your authenticity, so embrace the whole package. Wear your unique attitude proudly.